China reports over 100,000 new HIV/AIDS infections in 2014

China reported 104,000 new HIV/AIDS infections in 2014, up 14.8 percent from the previous year, the country's central health authority revealed on Thursday.

Wang Guoqiang, vice head of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, said that the overall rates of infection and number of HIV/AIDS cases have stayed at a low level.

China has provided anti-viral treatment for an additional 85,000 HIV/AIDS patients last year, an increase of 21.2 percent compared with 2013, Wang said at a national conference on disease control.

Wang said despite the low pandemic situation, the spread of the disease in certain areas is still high.

Moreover, while mother-to-child and drug needle infection rates remain at a relatively low level, sexual transmission has become the main infection channel.

The official also noted that infections among elderly people and young students in China are on the rise.

Wang urged full coverage of virus monitoring at the country's blood collection stations and full prevention to cut mother-to-child transmissions in 2015.

He also pledged to encourage more social organizations to take part in prevention work among high-risk groups and establish an effective intervention system to curb sexual transmissions.

China has pledged to control new HIV/AIDS infections while increasing detection of the disease.

Also at Thursday's conference, Wang called for enhanced monitoring efforts, timely reporting and quick response to prevent possible outbreaks of other infectious diseases, such as H7N9 bird flu, measles, dengue and Ebola. Endi